Madam, - Brian O'Connell's insightful awareness of the silent, gradual and insidious grip that alcohol was having on his life belies the false "promise" of the drug that is presented through alcohol advertising but also through our own positive cultural references to booze in everyday banter.
What he clearly points to is that he wasn't someone with a brown paper bag who suffered the consequences of chronic addiction but someone who was losing the very essence of his own life and the things he cared most about due to the very patterns of drinking that are so common in Ireland today. The decision to do something was precipitated by a family who cared enough to take a risk to challenge what they were seeing. If that decision had not been made what future does someone like Brian have in today's Ireland other than total loss of human integrity and dignity?
His description of his life post-treatment highlights the enormous environmental difficulties encountered by people genuinely trying to adapt to a sober life. People deserve a more sensitive and accommodating environment in which to recover their lives alcohol free.
The thread of life for a recovering person is very fine: pulled one way it leads to life and love, pulled another way to deletion of self and soul.
Contrary to what the alcohol industry states, Brian is not a "minority of drinkers" to whom policy should be directly targeted.
Neither are we or similar groups "anti-alcohol" in advocating policies to prevent what is happening to so many people like Brian.
There are many more people of all generations who are currently unable to extricate themselves from the grip of alcohol.
How long more do we have to wait before Government puts in place a "National Alcohol Strategy" as called for by your paper (March 14th) to prevent and intervene in the many other human lives and families ravaged by alcohol related harm in this country?
A great debt of gratitude is owed to Brian for his courage and generosity of spirit in helping our society wake up and take notice of a problem out of control. - Yours, etc,
Madam, - Brian O'Connell's courageous account of the causes and remedies for his dependence on alcohol (March 22nd) encourages us to face issues which are more crucial than drink-driving, policing, pricing or sponsorship.
Brian says he drank to feel better about himself.
He was lucky enough to eventually realise that alcohol would not do this but that professional fulfilment, relationships with friends and family and clarity of mind would.
In the relatively affluent society in which we now live, that personal and professional fulfilment is within reach of many, but it requires effort and a measure of self-discipline.
This is not a popular route, certainly not for those described in Kathy Sheridan's article on the pampering of teenage girls (March 22nd).
We need to challenge each other at home, in schools and in workplaces about the real reasons why we drink, the effect we are looking for, and by what other means we might achieve it.
Brian O'Connell has given us a useful starting point. - Yours, etc,
MAUREEN ROWAN, Northbrook Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.
Madam, - Really enjoyed Brian O'Connell's account of his decision to change his life direction. It took a lot of courage to "come out" and say it the way it is; to go against the crowd, and therefore risk being "unpopular".
Ireland needs more brave people like this. To stand up, be counted, and even provide something of a template for how our society can move in a more positive direction. - Yours, etc,
BRENDAN McMAHON, Sheringham Avenue, London.
Madam, - Having been breathalysed at a Garda checkpoint on my way to a pub in south Dublin last Saturday night, I ordered a glass of sparkling water, as I was the designated driver.
I was charged €3.10 for a 250ml bottle - €12.40 per litre.
That's more expensive than beer and over 10 times the price of petrol.
How can publicans justify charging so much for water?
Why do they punish those who choose not to drink and drive with such extortionate prices? - Yours, etc,
ROBERT SMYTH, Scholarstown Road, Dublin 16.